Switch-operating mechanism.



-J. W. MARKHAM. swncH OPERATING MECHANISM. I APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9. 1915.

. Patented July 6, 1915.

s 3 Q H A 12, r1 Z2 g F Z s a why \J F My s A J v y dlw 2 1 w, 43 F 1 a Q j |J 7M. \Z i snrwfl k g H V Witnesses Attorneys JAMES W. MARKHAM, 0F EVANSVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIG-NOR 0F TWENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF ONE-HUNDREDTHS T0 CHARLES F. WERNER ANDQTWENTY-TWQ AND ONE-HALF ONE-HUND RED'IHS 'IQ WILLIAM I. WALSH, BOTH OF EVANSVILIJE,

INDIANA.

To all whom it may concern: 1

.Be it known that I, JAMES W. MARKHAM, acitizen of the United States, residing at Evansville, in the county of Vanderburg and State of Indiana, haveinvented a new and useful Switch-Operating lVIechanisIn, of which the following is a, specification.

The present invention appertains to switch operating mechanisms, and is partic-ularly an, improvement over the switch operating mechanism disclosed in my patent I ,No. 1,123,338 issued January 5, 1915.

It isthe object of this invention, to pro- Videa novel actuating mechanism for the switch piece or tongue, whereby the mecha nismis operable by a device carried by the street car, to enable the motorman to throw the switch piece or tongue of the switch without leaving or stoppingthe car.

1 It is, also within the scope of the invention, to provide a switch operating mechanism, which will be improved generally in its construction and details, to enhance the utility and efficiency thereof.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter de scribed and claimed, it being understood that, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figurel is a plan view of the mechanism applied to a switchgportionsbeing broken away. Figs. 2," '3 and 4: are enlarged sectional views, taken on lines -22, 3-3 and 4: 1, respectively, of Fig.1.

In the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the main track fromwhich the side track or switch is branched, therebeing' an oscillatory switch piece or tongue ,3 cooperable with the adjacent rails of the main and side track or branch, as usual.

The present mechanism is provided for Specification of Letters Patent.

SWITCH- OPERATING- MECHANISM.

operating the switch piece or tongue 3, and embodies a longitudinal Plate at disposed be: tween the rails of the main trackl advance of the side tracker branch 2, and the plate 1 is provided with upturned-flanges Patented Jul 6,1915, j 1 Application filedFebruary 9,1915. SerialNo, 1,077, f U v i thereto, the forward end of a'connecting rod 10, which preferably comprises a pair of sections having their adjacent ends. connected adj ustably by means of a turn buckle 11, in order that the connecting rod 10 may be. adjustedproperly. It is preferableto house the connecting rod 10. in a housing or casing 12, to protect the same from the ele ments, and traffic. k I I The operative connection between the rear end of the connecting rod 10, and theswitch piece ortongue 3., is preferably housed with- 1n a casing or box 13. mounted adjacent the 7 switch,- piece, and having a cut away portion v or recess 13 within which'the switch piece works, and alsohaving a removable cover a or lid 14 for enabling access to be had to the parts housed withinthe casing or box. "A 7 bearing 15 is secured uponthe bottomof the casing adjacent the front wall thereof, and the rear .end portion of the connecting rod 10-is slidable through the bearing 1 5,a K cam rod l6being'pivoted, as at 17,'to t he rear end of theconnecting rod 10, and h'avi ing its fr'ee' end portion slidable through bearing 18 secured upon the bottom' of, the

casing 13 adjacent the rear wall thereof. The bearing 18 isprovided with a remo'v-m able cap, which in being detached, enables the cam rod 16 to be swung upwardly. The cam rod 16 is provided between its ends with a diagonal oroblique portion 19' forming a cam, which is fitted within-an upper diagonal or oblique groove 20 provided in an upstanding rib 21 carried bya slide 22, which is movable within a channel or recess 23 provided in the bottom of the casing 13. Thus, when the connecting rod 10 is reciprocated, due to the oscillation of the trip lever 8, the cam rod 16 will be oscillated, and the cam portion 19 Working through the groove or slot 20 of the slide 22, will cause the slide to be reciprocated at right angles to the connecting rod 10, and switch piece.

The switch piece or tongue 3 is yieldably connected with the slide 22, to be actuated thereby, and to this end, a strip or bar 24 has one end connected or pivoted by means of a bolt or other securing means 25, to the switch piece or tongue 3, and the strip or bar 24 overlaps and rests upon the rib 21, and the free end of the strip or bar 24 which is disposed upon the slide 22 is provided with upstanding or upturned ear 26 through which a rod or bolt 27 is slidable, parallel with the strip or bar 24. That end of the rod or bolt 27 remote from the switch piece is threaded or engaged adjustably through an upstanding ear or lug 28 carried by the corresponding end of the slide 22, and a coiled wire expansion spring 29 is disposed upon the rod or bolt 27 between the ears 26 and 28, while a coiled wire expansion spring 30 is disposed upon the rod or bolt 27 between the'ear 26 and the head 31 upon that end of the rod or bolt 27 nearest the switch piece. The springs 29 and 30 balance each other, to normally hold the strip or bar 24 at a neutral position relative to the slide 22, and to enable the strip or bar 24 to move relative to the slide 22, when the switch piece 3 is swung in either direction, due to the movement of a street car from the right hand side of Fig. 1, to the left hand side thereof. 7

In operation, supposing the parts to be arranged as depicted in Fig. 1, when a street car approaches the switch, traveling on the track 1 from the left hand side of Fig. 1, the trip lever 8 may be thrown or oscillated so as to assume a position opposite to the position illustrated in Fig. 1, and which will cause the arm 9 to be swung so as to draw the connecting rod 10 forwardly relative to the track. The trip lever 8 is oscillated by a car carried device (not shown), of the nature disclosed in the above mentioned application. When the connecting rod 10 is moved forwardly, the cam portion 19 of the follower rod 16 in moving through the diagonal or oblique groove 20 of the slide 22, will cause the slide 22 to move toward the switch piece or tongue 3. As a result, the strip or bar 24 will be moved with the slide 22, to swing the switch piece or tongue 3 to position against the adjacent rail, for directing the car straight ahead upon the main track 1, whereas if the switch piece or tongue is moved to the position illustrated in Fig. 1, the street car will be directed onto the side track or branch 2. When the trip lever 8 is swung to the position seen in Fig. 1, the connecting rod 10 will be moved rearwardly, which will cause the slide 22 to be moved away from the switch piece or tongue 3, to swing the switch piece to the position seen in Fig. 1.

It is to be noted that the springs 29 and 30 are disposed between the bar or strip 24 and the slide 22, whereby the strip or bar 24 is yieldably moved by the slide 22, and th1s permits the switch piece or tongue 3 to spring out of the way when a car passes along the main track or passes from the side track or branch onto the main track, from the right hand side of Fig. 1 to the left hand side thereof.

It is preferable to provide the bottom of the casing or boX 13 with a drain pipe 35, whereby the water may be drained from the casing or housing. The sides of the trip lever 8 are preferably beveled, and the flanges 5 of the plate 4 are preferably inclined, as seen in Fig. 4, in order that rocks or other foreign objects which might fall onto the plate 4 between the trip lever 8 and one or both of the flanges 5, will be readily lifted or deflected off of the plate 4 through the action of the trip lever 8, or the passage of the car carried device over the plate 4 between the trip lever 8 and one of the flanges 5. When the cap of the hearing or pillow block 18 is removed, the cam or follower rod 16 may be swung upwardly, when it is desired to separate the parts within the casing or box 13, for purpose of repair, cleaning or replacement.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a mechanism of the character described, a slide, means for actuating the same, a strip attachable to a switch piece and overlapping the slide, that end of the strip which overlaps the slide having an upstanding ear, the remote end of the slide having an upstanding ear, a rod slidable through the ear of the strip and having one end attached to the ear of the slide, the other end of the rod having a head, and coiled wire expansion springs mounted upon the said rod between the said ear of the slide the said head of the rod and ear of the 2. In a mechanism of the character described, a rod, a slide adapted for operative connection with a switch piece and having an upper diagonal groove, and a follower rod pivoted to one end of the aforesaid rod and having a diagonal cam portion engaging the said groove.

3. In a mechanism of the character described, a slide having an upper diagonal In testimonythat I elailn the foregoing groove, an. actuating rod, a follower rod as my own, I havehereto afiixed my signapivoted to one end of the said rod and havture in the presence of twowitne'sses.

ing a diagonal camportion between its ends I J W. I

engaging the said groove, and a bearing for Witnesses:

, the free portion ofthe follower rod having FL-MACER,

a removable-cap. ABBIE STEPHENS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addi'essing the Commissioner ofy Patentsg Washington, D. C. 

